Brexit minister David Davis is the man who is responsible for shaping new immigration controls

And Defence Secretary Michael Fallon on Sunday said free movement could still be in place beyond the 2020 General Election.

The PM yesterday insisted the Government’s goal was still to bring net migration down to “sustainable” levels. She added: “And we have said those are the tens of thousands.”

Pro-EU Tory Anna Soubry last night urged the Government to drop the 100,000 target altogether. Teaming up with Labour’s Pat McFadden and Norman Lamb of the Lib Dems she said: “We believe this is an unachievable target that, if met, would deny our country of the skills, talent and labour on which our economy relies.”

Alp Mehmet, vice chair of Migration Watch, urged the PM to think again – insisting it was “essential” controls came in at the end of March 2019.

He said: “We believe at the point of departure at the very least EU migrants looking for work should not be allowed in.

“The reason so many people voted out was because they wanted controls on immigration. It’s absolutely essential that immigration from the EU is controlled at the very first opportunity and that is 29 March 2019.”

UKIP leader Paul Nuttall last night said the PM’s comments showed the Government was “big on rhetoric but small on reality”.

He stormed: “The back sliding is in full swing and Theresa May is no longer able to hide it.

By voting to leave the EU the British people asked the government to reduce the high levels of immigration that see a city the size of Hull and Newcastle come to the UK each year.

The PM has finally given an answer to that question, and it’s a clear ‘no’.”

He added: “Businesses across the UK can already start to prepare for a time when open-door immigration will not exist, they do not need a transitional or implementation period.”